Houston’s streets will host the 76th Annual H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade, drawing large crowds to see floats and performances. The parade is set to begin at 9 a.m. today and will lead to extensive downtown street closures, according to a notice from the Mayor's Office of Special Events reported by KHOU. Key roads including Walker, McKinney, and Louisiana streets will be affected, so spectators are advised to plan their routes in advance.
In addition to the parade, Houston will host events including the Deck the Halls tree lighting and City Lights Downtown Holiday Magic. The festivities will include a 48-foot Christmas tree with 100,000 LED lights and a performance by R&B artist Brian McKnight, according to Click2Houston. Downtown will feature holiday performances and entertainment in designated North and South Pole areas, along with Santa appearances and fireworks.
Mayor John Whitmire commented, "Our highest priority during the holiday season is public safety… we want everyone to enjoy the holiday season, our parade, our lighting of the tree," he told Click2Houston. The city anticipates significant attendance from residents and visitors at these long-established Houston events.
Roads affected by the parade are expected to reopen at 3 p.m. today unless otherwise noted. Travel through downtown Houston may be difficult for both motorists and pedestrians throughout the morning and early afternoon as the parade moves along Smith Street from Lamar to Walker and concludes at Smith and Dallas.
The H-E-B Thanksgiving Day Parade will include features such as a 40-foot H-E-Buddy balloon, sports mascots serving as grand marshals, and floats representing Houston’s culture and community. As Click2Houston reported, Lisa Helfman from H-E-B Houston stated, "Everybody’s coming together to share joy and gratitude… this is our 76th year, and we are honored to continue this treasured Houston tradition." The parade, along with the tree lighting and downtown events, forms part of the city’s Thanksgiving celebrations.
